LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of the annual review process of an education, health and care plan because the injustice caused is not significant enough to warrant an investigation and the complainant can use her right to appeal to the Tribunal if she is unhappy with any amendments the Council may make to her child’s plan.

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s handling of her request for a parent carers assessment, the children’s statutory complaints process, and how it communicated with her. Overall, we agreed with the Council’s stage two findings. However, the remedy proposed was not adequate to acknowledge the impact its delays had on her, and it did not consider the significantly delayed complaints handling. The Council will apologise, make a symbolic payment, and carry out service improvements recommendations.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint the Council refused a relocation grant. There is not enough evidence of fault in how it reached its decision to justify our involvement.

Summary: The Council has provided satisfactory evidence why it delayed in notifying the housing provider that the late Mr A would not return to his tenancy.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the process followed by the Council in reaching its decision about the special educational needs (SEN) provision required for Mr X’s child. How the Council reached its decision is closely linked to the decision itself, in respect of which Mr X has used his right to appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council did not provide her daughter with appropriate alternative education when she became unable to attend school. We are satisfied the Council sufficiently considered its statutory duties and did not act with any fault. We do not uphold this complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the education provided to Mrs X’s child and the Council’s handling of the Education, Health and Care Plan process. This is because part of the complaint is late, and Mrs X could have complained to the Ombudsman sooner. Mrs X has appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). This places much of the complaint outside our jurisdiction. The delay by the Council in dealing with the Education, Health and Care Plan did not cause an injustice significant enough to warrant our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s response to safeguarding referrals, false information on Mr X’s file and an officer’s telephone contact with Mr X. Further investigation by us would not change the outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about how the Council dealt with her homelessness application. The Council has already recognised there were failings in how it considered her disclosures about domestic abuse. It has apologised and agreed to complete staff training. Further investigation by the Ombudsman would not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council’s housing allocations policy discriminated against him as a disabled person. We did not find the Council to be at fault. Government guidance allowed councils to include preference criteria that may favour certain groups over others.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with Mr X’s complaint about the conduct of two councillors. This is because we are unlikely to find enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a complaint about the conduct of a councillor. This is because the complainant has not suffered significant injustice.

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to secure her child’s Section F Education, Health and Care Plan provision since issuing the plan in September 2024. We did not find fault with the Council and found no significant personal injustice to Ms X or her child.

Summary: Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Councillor standards complaint against Mrs X. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how a Councillor handled his enquiries. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault causing Mr X a significant injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr F’s complaint about a child protection investigation and a brief period of accommodation the Council arranged for his son in May 2020 because it is late.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council considered Mr X’s application for medical priority on the housing register. The Council has agreed to resolve the complaint by providing a proportionate remedy for Mr X’s injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how a Councillor handled his enquiries. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault causing Mr X a significant injustice.

Summary: Ms X complained the Council did not properly handle her son Y’s Education Health and Care Plan. She said the Council failed to provide a Personal Budget when it issued the plan, did not secure educational provision for Y, and had poor communication and complaint handling. We find the Council at fault in these areas which caused distress and missed educational provision. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to follow government guidance when deciding the route Y’s school transport should take. We find the Council at fault for failing to evidence its decision-making process and for providing incorrect information, creating uncertainty for Mr X. The Council should apologise, make a symbolic payment to recognise the injustice, and act to prevent recurrence.

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s handling of her daughter, S’s, Education, Health and Care Plan, school attendance and communication with her about it. We found the Council has already taken appropriate action for its poor communication with Mrs X between November 2023 and January 2024. We found no other fault.

The Council took too long to issue an Education, Health and Care Plan for Mrs X’s daughter following an annual review in February 2024. She also complained her daughter was not provided with a suitable education during the period she was unable to attend school from November 2023. We found no fault. We found there were faults with the Council’s handling of the school phase transfer review, record keeping and failure to consult with Mrs X’s preferred school. The Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to Mrs X and S and review progress on improving its practice.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs M’s complaint about delay in consultations with her preferred schools for her son B’s education, health and care (EHC) plan because there is nothing we could add to the Council’s response, and we could not provide a remedy.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision that he was not eligible for a Blue Badge. There is not enough evidence of Council fault to warrant an investigation and there is no worthwhile outcome an investigation would achieve.

Summary: Miss X complained that her child who has an Education, Health and Care Plan has been without a special school place or suitable fulltime alternative education for two years. There was fault causing loss of education over a two-year period and an adverse impact on the parent carer who has been unable to work. The Council will apologise, continue efforts to find a school place, make a remedy payment and carry out service improvements.